Five Growing Mountain Bike Trends

It’s a basic law of nature: as time passes things evolve. Mountain bikes are no different. Over the last few years mountain bikes have radically changed. They have evolved to become the wicked fun, super fast, amazing machines they are today. From changes in frame design to new ideas about wheel size and drivetrains, a lot has changed. You know about some of these updates and are looking for a new bike.

So you start searching and shopping around. You start to do some research online but with all of the new updates, you are not sure what everything means. What do these updates and new standards actually do and what benefits will you actually feel while riding? Well that’s what this article is for.

There are frame updates and component updates.

Frame Updates: In the last decade or so frame design has changed a lot. New ideas about how a mountain bike should feel and ride have been the lead cause of change in the industry. Bikes are becoming lighter and stronger. They are becoming more aggressive and even more reliable. The following updates to frame design are making bikes better. If you haven’t already bought a bike with these new updates you are missing out. Now, let’s dive in.

#1 Updated Geometry: Mountain bikes have undergone radical changes in regards to their geometries. As a general rule the head tubes on bikes are getting slacked out, top tubes are being being lengthened, and bottom brackets are being lowered. All of this leads to a more natural feeling bike that doesn’t take a huge learning period before you can ride very confidently. Recently the geometry of bikes has been tweaked so that chainstays lengths have been shortened allowing the real wheel to be tucked in tighter under the frame, and front centers have be lengthened. This leads to a quicker handling bike that corners better and descends more confidently than ever before. All of the 2016 models for Fezzari have been updated. They now ride better than ever before.

#2 Through Axles: For many years, the wheels on mountain bikes were attached to the frame via quick release axles. This system of attachment worked well but lacked stiffness for truly aggressive riding. Also, the wheel was really only held to the frame through frictional force and the pressure of the fork and rear triangle against the hubs. Now a new and superior system for attaching the wheels to the frame has been devised: the through axle. A through axle is just what it sounds like. There is now a physical axle that runs through the hub and screws into the frame or fork. This system of wheel attachment is amazing. It increases the stiffness of the bike as a whole and allows for perfect placement of the wheel in the frame or fork every time. Here at Fezzari we have many bikes that use this new industry update. Our Timp Peak, Nebo Peak, Alta Peak, Abajo Peak, Cascade Peak, Wiki Peak, Solitude, Hidden Peak, and Kings Peak all feature through axles in their design. The improvement in performance is remarkable! You need to get out ride through axles if you haven’t already.

#3 Boost Spacing and Plus Size Wheels: Very recently a number of bicycle and suspension manufactures have adopted the Boost 148 standard. What this means is that the spacing for the rear wheel is 148 millimeters wide instead of the previous 142 millimeters. This has also been adopted to front suspension fork where the spacing for the front wheel has been boosted from 100 millimeters to 110 millimeters. This has given bike manufactures the ability increase tire clearance and improve bike stiffness. This is most notable and applicable through the adoption of plus size wheels and tires. Thanks to boost spacing bike manufacturers have been able to put plus, or three inch wide, tires with 45 millimeter wide rims into their bikes. In so doing, bikes with boost spacing and plus tires instantly promote trail riding confidence. The Fezzari Cascade Peak features the new boost spacing and plus size wheels and tires. If you’re looking for a bike to boost confidence and add an instant fun factor to all of your rides, look no further that the brand new Fezzari Cascade Peak.

Component Updates: Again, as time passes things change. Similarly, the components that are designed for mountain bikes change too. In the last six or so years there have been many updates and new components that have made mountain bikes better. The following are two such components that really have improved the ride quality of mountain bikes in the last few years.

#4 1×11 (or 12) Drivetrains: Back in 2010 a team of engineers at SRAM, one of the largest bicycle component manufacturers in the world, completely revolutionized the mountain biking drivetrain. With the release of their XX1 1X (read as one by) drivetrain, SRAM changed how we think about shifting, and in a larger sense, they changed how we think about riding. But what is a 1X drivetrain? Simply put, it’s drivetrain with only a single chainring up front and an 11 or now maybe 12 speed cassette in the back. The rear cassette has an incredible range of sprockets that allows it to have the same range of gearing as a 2×10 system all in a lighter weight, more durable, and even simpler package. It may not sound like it’s a revolution, but it is. You’ll never have to think about shifting ever again. It just works, every time. The shifts are precise, smooth, and quiet. No more dropped chains or rubbing on a front derailleur ever again. Here at Fezzari we have many different bikes that are equipped with 1X drivetrains. Our Timp Peak, Nebo Peak, Cascade Peak, Hidden Peak, Kings Peak, and Solitude bikes all feature 1X drivetrains. You need to try 1X because it will change how you ride for the better!

#5 Dropper Seatposts: Dropper Seatposts are amazing! They are instantly adjustable seatposts that can be moved up or down simply through the press of a button at the handlebar. The ability to adjust your saddle height at the touch of a button is priceless when riding on the trail. Because of the varying terrain a mountain biker can encounter on a ride, this instantaneous adjustment makes riding your bike more efficient and more fun. No longer will you have to dismount the bike to adjust your saddle height to go up or down the hill. Also, because of it’s ease of use, even for short climbs or descents, you’ll have the ability to get your saddle exactly where it needs to be. This makes riding safer as you will be able to drop your seat and get in the correct descending position for every descent. With its ease of adjustment, even on a very short downhill section, you can now be in the proper descending position where before having a dropper seatpost, you may not have taken the time to lower your seat. Dropper seatpost also make riding bikes more fun! You have to try one. At Fezzari our Timp Peak 2.0 X01 Eagle, and Timp Peak 2.0 XT bikes come with dropper post pre-installed. All of our other full suspension bikes can have dropper seatpost added. If you haven’t already had the opportunity to ride a bike with a dropper seatpost, you need to. Make sure your next bike has one!

So there you have it. These are five of the latest bicycling industry updates that make mountain bike even better. We here at Fezzari have them all! When you are looking for your next bike think Fezzari. Custom. Quality. Direct.